Threshing-machine.



No. 640,460. Patented Jan. 2, 1900.

J. A. WHLLER.

THRESHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

norgeys.

THE mmms PETERS co. PHDTO-LITNQ. wuumnwu, o. c,

No. 640,400 Patented Jan. 2, 1900.

J. A. MILLER.

THRESHING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Apr. 11, 1899. (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

1mg Ncmws wms cc, PHQTOUTHO msamam u c dra arnnr @hhleh.

JOHN A. MILLER, OF WADESVILLE, INDIANA.

'l'HRESl-ilNG WlACl-HNE.

$PECIF10ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,400, dated January2, 1900.

Application filed April 11.1899. Serial No. 712,645. (No model.)

To all 10700710 it nut-y concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wadesville, in the county of Posey and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Th reshing-Machine, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in threshingnnachines; and theobject in view is to provide a simple construction for edectuallyseparating the grain from straw without the employment of the ordinarystraw-carrier or rake mechanism which are common in the familiar typesof threshing-machines.

In my machine I employ a combined feeder and separator arrangedlongitudinally of the machine frame or casing to extend substantiallyfrom the threshing-cylinder to a stacker mechanism, and this feeder andseparator embodies devices by which the straw is lifted and agitated andother devices for generating currents of air which are directed againstthe straw to eliminate the grain therefrom and to force the strawrearwardly toward the stacker mechanism. Beneath this feeder andseparator is a longitudinal concave grate that supports the straw in itsrearward travel through the machine, and said grate is formed with slotsto insure the passage of the grain therethrough. Below the grate is animperforate grain-pan, which collects the grain as it falls through saidgrate, and at the tail end of said pan is a cleaning-shoe having a fan.An endless conveyer operates over the grainpan to sweep the grain fromthe latter and deposit the grain and chaff on the riddles of thecleaning-shoe. The several working elements of the machine are drivenfrom a single powershaft by suitable gearing, and these elements areoperated in unison to thresh the grain, to separate the straw from thegrain, to clean the grain from the chaff, and to carry the straw to thepile or rick.

The invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in theconstruction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand the invention, 1 haveillustrated a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation with the machine-casing skeletonized and illustrating myimprovements embodied in a threshing-ma chine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional elevation taken centrally through the machine on a planeindicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional elevation 011 the plane indicated by the dottedline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspeetive view of the revolublefeeder and separator removed from the threshing-machine.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like andcorresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

10 designates the frame of my improved threshing-machine, to which isapplied the casing in the usual or any preferred way, and this frame andeasing are carried by wheeled axles for transportation of the machine.

11 is the spiked threshing-cylinder, which has its shaft 12 journaled insuitable bearings on the frame 10, and one end of this shaft is extendedbeyond the machine-easing to receive a pulley 13. This spiked concave 1ais secured within the machine-frame in the usual way to occupy anoperative relation to the revoluble threshing-cylinder and over saidcylinder is disposed a cap 15. The deck 16 of the machine-casing joinsthe cap 15 in the ordinary way. A grain-board 17 is ex; tended beyondthe delivery end of the concave 14: for the purpose of depositing thegrain and straw upon the rovoluble feeder and separator, and in rear ofthis inclined grain-board is a deflector 18. This deflector is securedto the deck 16 of the machine-casing in a position at a suitable pointin rear of the inclined grain-board, and said deflector is inclinedreversely to the grain-board, so as to direct the straw in a downwardand rearward direction upon the revoluble feeder and separator. Thisinclined deflector 18 prevents the straw as it comes from the threshingmechanism from following closely to the line of the deck 16, and thestraw is thus properly deposited upon the feeder and separator to besubjected to the action of the devices entering into the construction ofsaid feeder and separator and which serve to agitate the straw and togenerate currents of air that act against the grain for eliminating thelatter from the straw.

In the lower part of the machine-casing on a horizontal plane below thethreshing mechanism is secured an imperforate grain-pan 19, that extendslongitudinally of the machinecasing from the end thereof to a point overthe cleaning-shoe. The cleaning-shoe 20 is supported or suspended withinthe machineframe in the usual or any preferred manner, and saidshoe isequipped with one or more riddles 21. As shown by the drawings, I haverepresented the cleaning-shoe as equipped with a single riddle 21; butit will be understood that the ordinary construction of shoe with aseries of riddles may be employed in my machine. The blast-fan 22 isarranged in advance of the riddles of said shoe 20, and the fan-shafthas one end extended beyond the machine-casing to receive adriving-pulley 23.

One of the novel features of my improved threshing-machine resides inthe employment of a grate 25, which extends longitudinally from a pointbelow the concave 14 to the straw-stackermechanism. Thislongitudinalgrate is concave in cross-section, and it extends over the grain-pan andthe cleaningshoe, as represented clearly by Fig. 2. Said longitudinalgrate may consist of perforated sheet metal secured in place Within theframe of the machine-casing; but, as shown by the drawings, I prefer toemploy a grate which consists of a series of longitudinal slatsor rails26, disposed in an arc of a circle and secured at intervals to a seriesof bed-bars 27, which are fastened to the machine frame or casing,whereby the grate is firmly supported in proper position longitudinallyWithin the machine-casing and between the threshing mechanism and thestacker mechanism. The

slats or rails 26 of the grate are secured to the bed-bars 27 in spacedrelation to each other in order to form a plurality of slots or openings23, which extend longitudinally of the grate and provide for the freepassage of the grain through said grate; but at the same time the slatsor rails prevent to a large extent the passage of the straw with thegrain to the cleaning-shoe, whereby the straw is retained upon the grateto be supported thereby as it is fed through the threshing-machine bythe action of the revoluble feeder and separator, and the straw is thusexposed to the action of said beater and separator continuously duringits travel through the machine after it passes the threshing mechanism.

At the rear end of the machine is a fancasin g 29,which comm unicateswith a stackertube 30, said casing and tube being supported on themachine-framein the usual orany preferred manner. Said fan has an eye orinlet 31 on a plane above the longitudinal grate 25, and in said casingis arranged an exhaustfan 32.

Another important feature of my improved threshing-machine is therevoluble feeder and separator, which is hung or supported over thelongitudinal grate 25 and is arranged wings or blades 37,which aresecured at proper intervals to the peripheral edge of the head, wherebythe wings or blades extend beyond the circular outline of the head. Saidwings or blades on the blast-head are disposed obliquely to the plane ofthe head and to the axis of the central shaft 3%, and said wings arecaused by the rapid rotation of the feeder and separator to generatecurrents of air of sufficient strength to blow the grain from the straw,and thereby separate the grain, so that it will fall by gravity upon thelongitudinal grate 25, whereby the grain is adapted to pass through theslots in the grate and lodge upon the grainpan or the riddle of theshoe. The bars 36 are disposed longitudinally of the feeder andseparator parallel to the central shaft 34 thereof, and these bars areattached to or connected with said shaft, preferably by fastening thebars to the blast-heads in the intervals between the blades or wings 37thereon. Each bar carries a series of outwardlyextending teeth 38, andas a series of the bars 36 are employed it will be seen that the feederand separator is equipped with a plurality of teeth 38, which extend atnumerous points beyond the blast-heads throughout the length of thelongitudinal feeder and separator. The teeth 38 on the bars of therevoluble feeder and separator are of angular form, and the outer ends39 of said teeth are bent at right angles to the axis of the bars, saidends 30 of teeth being inclined to the axis of the shaft and the planeof the blastheads in order to have their angular outer ends inclinetoward the stacker mechanism. This construction and arrangement of theangular teeth on the bars of the feeder and separator serve a twofoldpurpose. First, the teeth during the rotation of the feeder andseparator operate to lift and loosen the straw, so that the currentsfrom the blades of the blast-heads will penetrate the mass of straw toact on the grain, and the inclination of the ends 39 of said teethcauses them to feed or force the straw longitudinally through themachine toward the stacker mechanism.

The central shaft 34 of the revoluble feeder and separator is journaledat its ends in bearings 40, which are suitably supported within themachine-frame contiguous to the threshing mechanism and the stackermechanism, and in the embodiment of the invention represented moreclearly by Fig. 2 the tail end of this shaft 3% extends-clearly throughthe casing of the stacker-fan, whereby the fan 32 may be attacheddirectly to the shaft in order IIO to rotate therewith for exhausting;air from the threshing-machine and carrying the straw into thestackentube 30.

The central shaft of the revoluble feeder and separator is driven from acounter-shaft 4:1 through intermeshing gears 42 Said counter-shaft isjournaled in suitable bearings on the machine-easing below the threshingmechanism, and to the inner end of said counter-shaft is secured abevel-gear, as $2, which intermeshes with a similar bevel-gear L3 on oneend of the central shaft 8%. Said counter-shaft has its other endextended beyond the machine-casing, and to it is secured adriving-pulley at.

The conveyer-driving shaft of the machine is journaled in properbearings t6, which are secured to the machine-casing on a plane abovethe imperforate grainpan 19. The protruding end of this shaft isequipped with a pulley a? around the pulley i8, which is fast to thecylinder-shaft and is adapted to pass a driving-belt from atraction-engine or other source of power, whereby the shaft 12 may bedriven to positively actuate the several working elements of the machinethrough the endless driving-belt 49, which is fitted to the pulley l7 ofsaid shaft 12. Said belt is furthermore arranged to fit on the pulley 23of the fan-shaft, the pulley alon the counter-shaft t1, and the pulley13 of the threshing-cylinder-shaft. It will thus be seen that the belt19 is adapted to drive the shoefan, the counter-shaft for thelongitudinal feeder and separator, and the shaft of thethreshing-cylinder from the cylinder-sl'iaft, and the central shaft 34:of the feeder and separator operates to rotate the stacker-fan.

It will be understood that the grain-pan 19 receives a part of the grainand chaff from the longitudinal grate of the feeder and separator, andin. order to deposit the grain and chaff upon the riddle of thecleaning-shoe I employ an endless conveyor 50, which is arranged tosweep over said grain-pan. This endless conveyer is provided with aseries of slots 57, that are adapted to travel in close relation to saidpan 19, and the strands or belts of this conveyor are fitted to anidler-roller 52, which is supported in the n'1ach'ineframe over theriddle of the cleaning-shoe. The other end of said endless conveyer 50is fitted to pulleys or rollers 53 on the powershaft 4-5, and saideonveyer is thus operated by the power-shaft for its slats to sweep thegrain and chaff from the grain-pan upon the riddle of the shoe. Todeliver the grain and chaff from the pan to the shoe, I prefer toarrange the shoe-riddle on a horizontal plane below the pan and toextend the delivery end of said pan over the shoe, so that the grainwill not pass between the contiguous ends of the pan and shoe-riddle,all as clearly represent ed by Fig.

This being the construction of my threshing-machine, the operation maybe described as follows: The grain in sheaves or bundles is fed in aloosened condition to the cylinder and concave of thethreshingmechanismand is subjected to the action of spikes or teeth thereon. The rotationof the cylinder forces the grain over the inclined board and against theinclined deflector, and the threshed grain lodges upon the revolublefeeder and separator and on the concave longitudinal grate. The rotationof the shaft 34 causes the angular teeth to lift up and loosen thestraw, and as said shaft is rotated at a considerable speed by thecounter-shaft the diagonal Wings or blades on the blast-heads generatecurrents of air of sufficient strength to penetrate the loosened strawand act against the grain to separate the latter from the straw. Theteeth of the revoluble feeder and separator and the energy developed bythe currents of air from the wings or blades from the blast-heads act onthe straw to carry it rearwardly through the machine to the stackermechanism, and the grain loosened from the straw by the action of saidfeeder and separator falls through the slots in the concave grate. Thegrain is thus permitted to lodge on the longitudinal pan 19 and theriddle of the cleaning-shoe, and the con veyer 50 moves the grain andchaff from said pan upon said shoe-riddle. This grain and chaff areexposed to the blast from the shoe-fan 22, and the chaff is blown out ofthe shoe and the machine, while the grain passes through the riddlesinto suitable conveying devices, by which it is carried out of themachine. The straw is prevented by the slotted grate from passing to thegrain-cleaning devices of the machine, and said grate dclivers the strawto the eye or opening of the stacker-fan. This fan is driven from the1011- gitudinal shaft 34, and it acts on the straw to force it throughthe stacker-tube that conveys the straw to the pile or rick.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a threshing-m achine, the combination with athreshing mechanism, and a stacker mechanism, of a stationary concave 0rgrate arranged between said mechanisms,and a revoluble feeder andseparator arranged longitudinally within a chamber of the machinecasingand mounted to sweep in close relation to said grate, said feeder andseparator being equipped with aplurality of blast devices and with aplurality of straw-separating teeth,

said blast devices and the separating-teeth being disposed in alternaterelation, substan tially as described.

2. In a threshing machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a series of blast-heads attached at intervals to said shaft, barsrevoluble with said shaft, and teeth secured to said bars and arrangedoutside of the blast-heads and in planes between the latter,substantially as described.

3. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder'and separator comprising ashaft, a series of blast-heads secured at intervals to said shaft,oblique wings or blades secured to said blast-heads and arranged in aplural ity of series longitudinally of theshaft, and straw-separatingteeth also carried by the shaft and arranged in the plurality of serieslongitudinally thereof, said series of strawseparating teeth alternatingwith the series of wings or blades, substantially as described.

4. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a plurality of series of blast wings or blades secured atintervals to said shaft and with each wing disposed in a plane obliqueto the axis of said shaft, and the toothed bars connected to said shaftto be revoluble therewith and disposed in the intervals betweentheblades 0r Wings,substantiallyas described.

5. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feederand separator comprising ashaft, a series of blast-heads having the diagonal wings or blades, andlongitudinal bars fixed to said heads in the intervals between saidblades and having the projecting straw-teeth, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a series of blast wings or blades revoluble with said shaft, andlongitudinal bars secured to the shaft in the intervals between saidblades or wings and having the projecting strawteeth alternating withthe blast wings or blades, substantially as described.

7. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a series of bars secured to said shaft to rotate therewith, andangular teeth fixed to the bars and having their active ends arranged toproject beyond said bars and to lie obliquely to the axis of the shaft,substantially as described.

8. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a series of blast-heads secured at intervals to said shaft, andeach provided with the oblique wings or blades, a series of longitudinalbars arranged in theintervals between the blades, and a series of teethfixed to each of said bars and inclined to the axis of the shaft,substantially as described.

9. In a threshing-machine, a revoluble feeder and separator comprising ashaft, a

series of blast-heads secured at intervals to said shaft; the wings orblades secured in series to each of said blast-heads, longitudinal barsfastened to the heads in the intervals between the blades or wings, anda series of angular teeth secured to each of said longitudinal bars andhaving their outer ends inclined to the axis of the shaft, substantiallyas described.

10. In a threshing-machine, the combination with a threshing mechanism,anda pneumatic stacker mechanism, of a horizontal stationary concavedgrate supported longitudinally within a chamber of the machine-casingand below said thresher mechanism and the inlet to the stackermechanism, and a revoluble feeder and separator mounted parallel to saidgrate, said feeder and separator provided with a plurality of series ofblast devices and with a similar series of straw-separating teeth whichalternate with said blast devices, said teeth or blast devices arrangedto sweep in close relation to the concave surface of the grate,substantially as described.

11. In a threshing-machine, the combination with a threshing mechanism,a cleanershoe, and a stacker mechanism, of a grainpan arranged todeliver to said shoe, a perforated concaved grate arranged between thethreshing and stacker mechanisms and above the grain-pan, a rotaryseparator and feeder arranged longitudinally above the grate and havinga plurality of blast devices and of separating-fingers arranged to sweepclose to the concave surface of the grate, and an endless conveyerarranged between the grate and the grain-pan to sweep close to thesurface of the latter, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN A. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

KELLY DEFAR, L. G. LEoPoLD.

